Studio One

Gentlemen Of The Road Festival Stopovers are organized by Mumford & Sons, so it's fitting that seemingly 98% of festival attendees are there for them, and the other bands are kind of an afterthought. When they took the stage Saturday night and played for over two hours, Mumford & Sons more than justified the buzz generated by their presence in Waverly. They played great, with spirited performances of both the hits and album cuts, and they did an intimate acoustic/near- a cappella set.

William Elliott Whitmore lives in Lee County, between the Des Moines and Mississippi Rivers, in the very southeastern corner of Iowa. He lives and works on his family's land, finding inspiration there for the songs he writes and the music he makes. Radium Death is his third album for the Anti- label, and his seventh overall. Whitmore recorded the record in Iowa City over a two year period, with Luke Tweedy producing. About a third of the new songs are performed solo, and the rest feature a variety of musicians.

On April 16, the Eastern Iowa band Wooden Nickel Lottery played songs from their just-released debut album On Our Way, for Studio One listeners both in IPR's Cedar Falls studios and those tuning in for the live broadcast. It was a set of tasty guitar licks and solid songwriting from the Cedar Rapids-based blues/rock band. Check out the Wooden Nickel Lottery sound right here!

The Iowa City band Soul Phlegm stopped by IPR's Cedar Falls studios on April 13 to play a set of what they call "soulgrass outlaw funk." Whatever you call it, you can hear those elements plus a strong undercurrent of the blues in their high-energy performance. Soul Phlegm played songs from their new Phlourish EP and more. New songs that are perhaps a preview of the full-length album expected later this year. Enjoy this live set!

The 10th Annual Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City kicks off today with a variety of events ranging from literary readings to cultural food tastings. The festival runs until Sunday, April 5 and you can hear Studio One's live broadcast of several music events throughout the weekend. You can even join us in person while we broadcast live from The IPR Lounge at The Java House in Iowa City.

The Waterloo-based Michael Reed Band stopped by IPR's Cedar Falls studios on March 26, playing a set consisting of various shades of Rock and Americana for an appreciative audience. The band, led by singer-songwriter Michael Reed, played songs from their new release Running Wild and more. Have a listen to their set!

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota band The Tinder Box are in the midst of a Midwestern tour that will include stops in Lincoln, Madison, La Crosse, Morris (MN) and more. The four-piece group stopped by IPR's Cedar Falls studios on March 9, bringing their folk rock/Americana songs and talking about their new album The Attic Sessions: Volume 1. It was a rousing set, with instrumentation consisting of guitars, banjo, trumpet and drums. Have a listen!

The Sioux Falls, South Dakota band The Tinder Box are touring around the Midwest. Stops include Chicago, Lincoln, Madison, La Crosse, Burlington (Wisconsin), Morris (Minnesota) and...Cedar Falls. I'll be hosting the band for a free performance in IPR's Cedar Falls studios, on Monday, March 9. With their roots in the southeastern South Dakota soil, The Tinder Box play their own blend of folk-rock, Americana and self-described "BlueSgrass." They have a new release out titled The Attic Sessions: Volume 1. ​You'll hear songs from that album and more on Monday night.

What's it look like when I host a Studio One show? You can find out this Thursday, March 5 at The Basement (901 Cherry Street) in Des Moines! IPR is excited to be taking Studio One out on the road for the first time, partnering with the Des Moines Social Club for the entire 7-10 pm show. I'll be playing new indie rock, singer-songwriters and roots-rock, plus a sprinkling of great older tracks. It will be just like our usual great mix, except that I'll be spinning the discs live with an audience of Basement patrons.

The Iowa City trio Milk Duct Tape played an energetic live set for Studio One on Feb. 17, in IPR's Cedar Falls studios. In the great rock tradition of guitar/bass/drums, the band played songs from their new release Styrofoam Tombstone and more. Milk Duct Tape describe their music as "grunge rock from the Iowa desert." Have a listen and find out what that means!

Seattle musician Damien Jurado is spending a bit of time in Iowa this week playing more intimate shows. The early pioneer of Seattle’s singer-songwriter circle has been recording music and touring for nearly two decades. He performs Wednesday at Dordt College in Sioux Center and in a Coraville living room on Friday. He says this kind of venues offers fans a more personal setting.

NPR Tiny Desk Concerts are intimate video performances, recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host, Bob Boilen. Boilen's desk is located at NPR headquarters in Washington, DC. Past performers have included Lucinda Williams, Rubblebucket, St Paul and The Broken Bones, J. Mascis, Tweedy, Pixies, Neko Case and many more!

The Iowa band Beverly and the Accordion performed live in IPR'S Cedar Falls studios on January 13. The six-piece group played songs from their new release The Porch Sessions, and more. An appreciative hometown audience responded enthusiastically to Beverly and the Accordion's Americana-flavored music. And yes, an accordion can be heard in the mix!

Pieta Brown, along with Bo Ramsey on electric guitar, stopped by IPR's Cedar Falls studios on Dec. 8. The set list included songs from the new album Paradise Outlaw. The live set was in advance of her Dec. 12 show at Des Moines' Temple for the Performing Arts, a night of music that will also feature The Pines, and is being presented by Iowa Public Radio Studio One. Enjoy this wonderful live performance!

There is something about good music that just gets me, and for as long as I can remember I have always connected through music.

It was four years ago that I hosted my first show on IPR’s Studio One. It was on a Sunday night after the Thanksgiving holiday, and coincidently my last show falls during that same time of the year. I am grateful to have had the opportunity on Studio One to share my love of music with other fellow music aficionados throughout the state of Iowa.

Upcoming Chicago band Twin Peaks are heading to Iowa during their fall tour in support if their sophomore release Wild Onion. They will be in Iowa City at the Blue Moose Tap house tomorrow Sept 23 and then Des Moines Wednesday Sept 24 at the Vaudeville Mews. If you missed the phone interview I did with Twin Peaks vocalist and guitarist Cadien Lake James you can listen to it below.

Tonight during the 7 o’clock hour of Studio One, we have a live performance from Bedroom Shrine out of the Davenport area. Here’s a video from their debut No Déjà Vu.

IPR's Studio One team is at 80/35 this weekend, July 4 & 5. We're chatting with local and national bands who are rocking the music festival in Des Moines, and we're recording some live unplugged sessions from the Meet & Greet area.

Iowa Public Radio Classical recently headed to Studio One with singers from the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre’s Mikado production. The Young Artist cast, along with conductor John Hollins and pianist Tony Nickle, performed selections from the Gilbert and Sullivan operetta while giving us a glimpse behind the scenes of their upcoming performances at the historic Brucemore Mansion in Cedar Rapids.

The Waterloo, Iowa band Twins are about to release the follow-up to their 2012 album, Funny Faces. The new record, Tomboys On Parade, was self-produced by the band at Jealous Dog Studios in Cedar Falls, with Al Eacret engineering the recording sessions. Eacret mixed the album along with Twins lead vocalist and guitarist, Joel Sires. The line-up of Twins also includes Luke Sires on drums, Harper Sires on guitar and Devin Ferguson on bass.

It's fundraising time. It's THE BLUES, Baby, pledge 24/7 at this website! Tonight's blues bus trip includes music from all 5 Blues Music Award nominees for Blues Entertainer of the Year, plus new releases from Shaun Murphy and Joe Louis Walker and Iowa blues from Robert "One-Man" Johnson and The Janeys